Distance
by MoreCowbell
Summary: Sitting on swings in the rain.


Distance  
by Trish  
Edited: June 30, 2006

* * *

"You know, you shouldn't be out here right now," I told her, "You could get really sick." I should know. Odaiba Park. That's where Kari almost died.

She didn't answer me. She kicked at a clump of wet sand, but she didn't answer me. Probably wasn't even listening. No one ever listens.

I swung myself a little, "I'm gonna stay here until you leave. Or we can leave together. Either one. It's my responsibility as a leader to make sure nothing happens to my men," I smiled, "Or women."

"You're not my leader," she finally said, "Not anymore."

"Brat," I taunted, no real anger in my tone, "I put my ass on the line for you time and time again, and this is the thanks I get? You're a real piece of work, you know that, Tachikawa?"

Tachikawa. I don't think I've called her by her first name in a long time. Not since we were little kids, and even then it was "Mimi-chan". Somewhere between then and now I'd fallen into the habit of addressing her like she was a stranger.

I guess we just drifted apart...

But that didn't stop me from following her after school when she ran blindly into the rain. When somebody you know -- regardless of whether you're BFF or just acquaintances -- darts across streets with complete disregard for traffic safety... Well, you do something about it.

She stopped at Odaiba Park, trudging across sopping wet sand to get to the swings. I just stood there for a moment, watching her.

I never noticed how pretty she was. Even with drenched, wet hair and puffy, red eyes.

I sat on the swing next to her and waited for her to say something. Something like 'go away' or 'I have so many problems!'. But she didn't say anything. She didn't even acknowledge my presence. She just sat there, crying.

"Who cares if I'm a brat?" she demanded, angrily, "No one asked you to follow me here anyways. You always act like everyone mistreats you. It's so annoying."

I grinned. An angry Mimi was better than a crying Mimi. I was glad I was able to get a rise out of her.

"Fair enough," I said, "But you're not exactly Miss Sparkling Personality either."

She sniffed a bit. Probably the cold and the rain beginning to take its toll on her. Pretty soon I'd be the same way. I guess I'd have to work faster to get her out of here.

"Why are you here?" she asked. She didn't sound snobby or angry... Incredulous, maybe.

"I like playing on the swings in the rain," I told her, "And I like reliving one of my most traumatic memories with a childhood friend."

She stared at me, looking a little humbled, "Koushirou told me about Hikari... About that time she was sick."

I laughed. I don't know why. I wasn't particularly amused. Infact, just thinking about Kari's youth makes me a little depressed, even to this day, "Which time?" I shot back, sardonically, "The dozens of times in Highton View Terrace? Or when we were in the Digiworld? Or when it was my fault?"

I don't remember if I was crying. I think... I think it was just the rain water on my face.

"That's not going to happen to me," Mimi said, "I don't know what you're worried about."

Sometimes I get too emotional. I hate when I do that. That's such a Matt thing to do. Cry, and whine, and act like bad things only happen to me. But I can't help it. Not when it's about Kari or my friends...

"I'm worried about you," I looked at her, "Even if we haven't been buddy-buddy lately, you're Tachikawa. My sincerity. I can't _not_ be worried about you."

There was a silence. She was trying to push herself on the swing. She looked sort of silly.

"You shouldn't care about me," her voice was sad, "You shouldn't care about anyone. They all go away someday. They die, or they leave you, or they forget about you... Everything fades."

I let out a whistle, "Holy Jesus," I swore, "You sound like Matt Ishida, himself. Just cut it out, okay? Where is this all coming from? I know that's not true, and you know it's not true. People fade, but feelings don't."

She seemed to be pondering my words while I pondered hers.

Since when does Princess Pink submit to emo propaganda? She was usually the first to explode at people with such pessimistic opinions.

"Taichi... Do you like me? I mean, really. Do you like me, or do you look after me and tolerate me because it's your responsibility?"

Taichi. She called me 'Taichi'. I hate that she calls everyone by their birth certificate name. Yamato. Hikari. Koushirou. I know she's a high class snob, but it wears a bit thin. We've been friends for years, and she can't even be bothered with nicknames that even _the teachers_ use.

"I like you," I say, honestly, "It might be hard to believe because you're such a princess, but I do. You've got..." I think of a good word to use, "...charisma."

"Would you miss me if I went away?"

You're already sort of gone, I think.

From the moment we stepped back into Odaiba, she had distanced herself from us. All of us but Joe, TK, and Sora. Sora was her best friend, TK was the little brother she never had, and Joe was her partner-in-whine. I had always assumed that she just didn't like the rest of us.

"I would," I told her.

It was true. I would miss her. I would miss her brief smiles when she passed by me in the hall. I would miss how she tried to secretly cheer for me at soccer games. Most of all, I would miss my chance to bridge the gap between myself and her.

We were friends. We just weren't as good of friends as we probably should have been, given all that we had gone through together.

"I'll miss you too," she whispered. I barely heard it above the hard, pouring rain.

"What are you talking about?" I gave her a questioning look. She refused to meet my eyes.

"I'm moving," she sounded guilty. She had probably known for a long time that she would leave us, "I'm moving away... To a whole 'nother country. There's going to be an entire ocean separating us."

Neither of us said anything.

I just kept thinking about how close we were sitting, but how far away we really were. Like, I could touch her right now, but I wouldn't be able to reach her.

Because there was this space between us. This space where a bridge should have been.

* * *

NOTES:  
Tai is love.


End file.
